Beginners Guide To The Knit Stitch

Season 18 Scarf - update

The season 18 scarf is now half way completed. The main problem that I have experienced is to do with running out of yarn in the middle of a line. If this happens to your own project, and you do not wish to have yarn 'tails' showing through at all, here is what you can do.

Take the yarn that is left behind and leave it hanging out while you complete a few more lines of knitting. This is to ensure that the lines above give the knitting more structure for the tails to be embedded into.

When ready, use a needle or some poking device and gently weave the tail of the loose yarn back into the knitted line it is part of. This would then in effect hide the tail and have no need for knots or unsightly yarn ends. I believe there is also a way to crochet these tails in, but that is something which I have yet to learn myself.

Timeless Collectors – 15th May 2011

Up early to arrive around 11am for the convention in Portsmouth. It was housed in a small sports room within the Mountbatten sports centre.

The sci-fi vendors had a nice collection of models, cards, and props. The Dorset Troopers attended and their troopers walked the hall keeping order as well as allowing their photos to be taken by brave fans. It was lovely to see children and adults dressed in their favourite sci-fi garbs.

From space boys, to Ewoks, Amy Pond and David Tennant. The Fourth Doctor, complete with Jelly Babies and sonic screwdriver had his share of fans wanting his picture. He was rather dashing I have to say, but then I am biased as he is my dear husband after all.

Other costumed wonders came in the forms of the Alien, Predators, Back to the Future car (complete with the mad professor).

After the initial walk around of the vendors and ensuring that a few purchases were made (which had to be done of course), husband and I met up with Colin Baker, the sixth Doctor. Colin was in fine spirits and happily signed photos of himself for members of the public. Next to him stood the Tardis, K9 and a rather mean looking Dalek.

We also met up with wonderful actors Alan Flyng, Wendy Lowder and Derek Lysons. They were signing autographed photos and speaking to the fans.

The Umpa Lumpa song was played on the tannoy and Rusty from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ did a little dance which the fans enjoyed.

Over all I believe that the day was a great success for both actor and fans alike. This is one more event which I shall definitely like to attend once more.

Season 18 Scarf

I started this version of Tom’s scarf in February 2011. It has taken me up to this time to complete just one quarter and a half of it so far, due to time restraints of home life. However, I am finding that the project itself is moving along faster than my previous scarf, mainly due to the fact that the stitches are larger and the wool is thicker.

Picture of scarf so far:

Hints and Tips to help you create your own:

To start a scarf, one must have the correct colour wools, correct sized needles and tension. Of course the pattern is also required needless to say. Below I have listed what I have found to be the best course of colours and needles for this project. For those of you who cannot find the same, Ebay and wool shops on-line should be looked into.

Needles: 6mm (size 10 US)

Wool: Lions Suede wool

Colours used: Garnet, Eggplant and Spice.

Number of stitches needed: 42

Total length: About 26 feet

The beginning of the five hundred year diary

My interest for the very popular television program Doctor Who first came about when I must have been around eight years of age. That is some time back now I have to say, but even so, it has not dampened my inquisitive nature for all things Who related.

Historically, my background is in acting, writing of fantasy novels and costuming. All parts to make up a rather complicated and some would say eccentric lady. The imaginative girl within me loves to create and explore new challenges, which is why I gave myself the task of creating a Season 12 Doctor Who scarf in 2010.

After watching a multitude of Doctor Who DVDs in the quiet of my country home, my husband exclaimed how wonderful it would be to actually own a replica of Tom Baker’s scarf. My mind reeled with this thought I have to say, as before then I had no idea how to knit. My skills only lay within the boundaries of hand stitching historic garments for Robin of Sherwood, Viking or Saxon shows. However, the look on my husband’s face was such a picture, so I decided to at least give the project a try.

That week saw a spurt of outings to ‘Hobby Craft’ and other craft minded shopping outlets. Armed with various pictures from the DVDs and from the Internet as colour guides, I set to on the great wool adventure.

Once the multitude of wools and needles had been procured, with the helpful advice from the shop assistants, I rushed back home to then find my next teacher – the Internet. As a complete beginner, I had no idea how to even cast on, so I took time to look on YouTube and found helpful websites which gave simple instructions on how to cast on and to knit my first rows.

I suppose that you could say the greenery that surrounds my home turned a little blue with the first week of mistakes and more holes in the scarf that you could shake a Sonic Screwdriver at. Soon the words turned to that of hope when little by little my scarf grew to become a notable length of wondrous colour and distinction.

The main problem I had found was that of RSI in my thumbs. The reason behind this stemmed from the fact that I had been holding the needles far too tightly. Biting my lip through the pain, I refused to let the needles make me stop and take a break, which was silly I know, but my stubbornness pushed me on.

Four months later, and harbouring very painful digits, my scarf at last was complete. Once more I looked on the Internet for help on how to cast off and then how to add the final touches to the tassels either end of the fourteen foot scarf.

Now, a year later, the scarf has been worn many a time by my very happy husband. It is the main part of his Tom Baker costume which he likes to parade around in when we are fortunate enough to go up to London to the Doctor Who Experience, or other Who related gatherings. The length has been stretched out now, but it looks wonderful.

The colours that I had used were as close a match as I could find locally at the time. These were all doubleknit (DK) wools, but for future scarves I am spending more time sourcing accurate colour matched yarn worldwide.

Picture of the completed scarf, next to the Season 16 Power of Kroll frock coat. After completion of the Season 18 scarf I shall be starting a Season 16 one to go with the coat. I shall be striving to get the colours as accurate as possible and will be blogging the process from the start.

So this is just the start to a long adventure in costume making for Doctor Who. I am currently undertaking another scarf project, this being the Season 18 scarf.

I hope that you will follow me in this journey as one by one, my projects will be unfurled.